


Can I Keep You?

by queenmidalah



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 20:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1661129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenmidalah/pseuds/queenmidalah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma takes care of Ward when he's sick and finds out later that not all things are fever induced.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can I Keep You?

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt from mouseinscrubs.
> 
> Ward/Simmons- "Can I keep you?"

Jemma Simmons often worried about something happening to her team members. They often were on dangerous missions. Grant Ward, particularly, seemed to be a bullet magnet. She held her breath every single time they would leave the bus, or at least it felt like it, hoping that the man would come back unscathed. That they all would.

It never occurred to her that the man would be laid flat by something such as the flu. Thankfully Phil Coulson had called in some favors. The team was on leave for the moment, and he had insisted they hole up in the penthouse of a hotel that Tony Stark had connections at. Now that the man knew Coulson was alive, he had insisted that any time they needed accommodations, they stay at such places. On this particular instance, Jemma was very thankful. They had been given the penthouse floor that had enough rooms for each team member. Jemma had taken the one closest to Ward in order to keep an eye on him.

Jemma tapped gently on Ward's door. She didn't get a response so she quietly slipped into the room. She glanced at the bed where the specialist was sprawled, his chest bare with a soft sheen of sweat. She frowned hoping it meant his fever had broke some, but his flushed face indicated if it had, it came back.

Jemma sighed softly, setting down the tray she had brought with her. She had made sure to bring in some food, medicine, orange juice, and water for him. She noticed he had finished the tea she brought in last night before heading to bed in her room.

She placed the tray on the bedside table before turning to check on him. His breathing wasn't as shallow as it had been, but when she touched his forehead she could feel that the fever was still present. She picked up the wash cloth she had used the night before and headed into the bathroom. She tossed it into the linen basket before getting a fresh wash cloth to run cold water over. Heading back into the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed and put the cool cloth against his forehead.

"Good morning," she said softly as Ward's eyes cracked. His eyes were bright with fever as he looked at her. "I brought you some breakfast."

"Tha..." his voice cracked and he started to cough. Jemma reached for the water and helped lift his head so he could take a sip of the cool liquid. He watched Jemma as she put the glass down again.

"Can I keep you?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Jemma's head tilted to the side. "Keep me?" 

"Yep," Ward said. He curled to his side and shifted until he could put his head in her lap. "Can I keep you?"

Jemma almost didn't know what to do. She wouldn't lie if asked if she had a crush on Ward. After he had jumped out of the bus to save her life, she had started to see him as a bit more than just a co-worker and friend. Even moreso when he had promised to catch her if she feel. It made her wonder if there had been more behind that statement then just when she was climbing up a tree, even with a harness attached.

Her fingers gently moved to thread through Ward's hair. Despite her heart skipping a beat a bit at his words, she knew it was simply fever induced. The heat radiating against her fingers was obvious of that.

"Yes, you can keep me," she said softly.

"Promise?" Ward murmured, even as Jemma moved the cool cloth from his forehead to his neck to help.

Jemma bit her lip a moment. She was simply indulging him in his sickened state, nothing would become of it.

"Promise," Jemma said just loud enough he would hear.

"Good," he mumbled before falling back asleep, snuggled close to her. Jemma's own eyes closed at the nip of pain she felt at promising something she secretly wanted and knowing it wasn't real. Right now all she wanted to do was focus on Ward getting better.

~~

Three weeks since they had last had a real chance for some time off, Jemma could feel it weighing on her. Three weeks since they had been forced into said time off because of Ward being sick. She rubbed at her neck, the muscles stiff from hours of bending over the lab readings she had been going over for hours. Truth be told, she probably should have been in bed hours ago, but she couldn't sleep.

She jumped as she felt fingers covering hers and pushing them away to massage at the tight muscles.

"You should be sleeping," Ward's voice washed over her.

"Can't sleep," she said quietly, her eyes closing a bit.

"Why's that?" he asked, his fingers working at the kinks along her neck and shoulders. "Besides the obvious tight muscles."

"Too much going on. The lab work--."

"Can wait," Ward interrupted. "Jemma, you can't make yourself sick over these missions."

"I feel fine," she said.

"You aren't sleeping, that doesn't mean you are fine," Ward said.

Jemma shifted and turned under his hands, looking up at him. "And why aren't you sleeping?" she questioned.

"Because you aren't."

Her nose wrinkled. "What..."

"You made me a promise," Ward said, the corner of his mouth quirking. "I want to make sure that you are sleeping and taking care of yourself."

Jemma's cheeks flushed. He remembered her promise when he asked to keep her? "You were sick," she said. "You didn't..."

"Know what I was asking? Yes I did," Ward said. He brushed his fingers along her cheek. "I was sick, not delusional."

"You had a fever," Jemma reasoned.

"Yes, but it wasn't the fever talking," he said. "Jemma, I have feelings for you. I have for awhile, I just never could figure out when or how I could tell you."

"You... what?"

"I have feelings for--." Ward's words were cut off by Jemma leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. He returned the kiss, his hands cupping her face. After a moment, he broke the kiss, pressing his forehead to hers.

"So..." he whispered. "Can I keep you?"

Jemma huffed a small laugh. "Yes, you can keep me," she said.

"Promise?"

"Promise."


End file.
